Counterbalance for slip roll formers



Jan. 17,1950 w. E. LUNDGREN COUNTERBALANCE FOR SLIP ROLL FORMERS Filed Feb. 10, 1945 I-NVENTOR m e W, L z. m m m ATTORNEYJ.

Patented Jan. 17, 19 50 COUNTERBALANCE FOR SLIP ROLL FORMERS William E. Lundgren, Sharon, Mass, assignor to The Peck, Stow & Wilcox Company, Southington, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application February 10, 1945, Serial No. 577,324

6 Claims.

This invention relates to roll-lifting means for slip roll formers.

In known types of slip roll formers, one end of the top roll is carried in a separable bushing. When the bushing parts are separated, the top roll may be manually moved away from the lower roll to permit removal of the work after the forming operation has been completed.

This conventional construction is subject to various disadvantages, For example, the manual movement of the top roll, particularly with larger sizes, requires the exercise of considerable eiiort on the part of the operator. This tends to accentuate operator fatigue and cut down machine production.

It is an object of the present invention to provide roll-lifting means for slip roll formers such that operator effort in raising the upper roll is reduced to a minimum or completely eliminated.

It is a further object of the invention to provide roll-lifting means that can be installed in already existing machines with only minor structural modifications.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the features, combinations, details of construction and arrangements of parts which will be first described in connection with the accompanying drawing and then more particularly pointed out.

The drawing is an isometric view, with parts in section and cut away, of apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention, showing so much of a slip roll former as is necessary to an understanding of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a pair of rolls Ill, H, forming part of a slip roll former which may be of any suitable known construction. Between the rolls is indicated a work plate l2. The right end of the upper roll ill, as viewed on the drawing, is journaled in a split bushing l3, M. The lower part E3 of the bushing, as shown, is integral with the end frame id. The upper part IA of the bushing is hinged to the frame in such a manner that when brought down over the journal of the upper roll it locks the roll in place and forms a complete bearing.

There is provided means for mounting the upper roll to be movable away from the lower roll. To this end, in the embodiment here shown as an example, on the left end of upper roll it, as viewed in the drawing, is a rocker box I? fulcrumed on a stud I3 and in which the roll is journaled.

There is provided a lifter element connected with the upper roll for moving the same with respect to the lower roll. As here shown as an example, secured to the rocker box is a lifter element in the form of a pair of lifter arms Ell, 25. As will be apparent, if the lower ends of these lifter arms are moved to the right, as viewed in the drawing, the upper roll will be swung away from the lower roll.

There is provided operator-controlled power means for actuating the lifter element. Such means may conveniently include a, counterbalance for the upper roll. In the embodiment of the invention here illustrated as an example, associated with lifter arms 20, 2!, is 9, lifter rod 22. on this rod is a disk 23 located between the lifter arms. A hinge pin 24 forms a pivotal connection between rod and arms. The lifter rod extends beyond the arms and on its outer end is a stop nut 25. In the embodiment here illustrated, the counterbalance is in the form of a compression spring 2! embracing the lifter rod and confined between a frame piece 28 and a collar 29 secured to the rod as later described. It will be seen that the force of spring 2! tends to move rod 22 to the right.

Carried by the lifter rod is a hand control lever 3| having a hub portion 32, which hub portion has a cam surface 33 engaging a complementary cam surface 34 on a, frame piece 35. These cam surfaces are so designed and arranged that when lever 3! is drawn toward the operator lifter rod 22 is moved to the right.

The invention in its entirety includes means for adjusting the effective counterbalancing power of the spring. To this end, as here shown as an example, collar 29 is secured to or integral with wrench which takes into sockets ll in collar 28.

When sleeve 31 is screwed outwardly of fixed sleeve 38, collar 29 is shifted in a direction to cause further compression of spring 21, thus increasing its effective force. Reverse movement of sleeve 3? shifts collar 29 to permit expansion of the spring, thus decreasing its effective force.

The drawing shows the apparatus in work forming position except that split bushing l3, M ii shown open. When the operator wishes to To adjust the effective force remove a work piece from between the rolls, he opens the split bushing and pulls lever 3|. This, through cam surfaces 33, 34, results in a movement of lifter rod 22 to the right, as viewed in the drawing. Such movement of the lifter rod actuates lifter arms 20, 2! to swing upper roll I away from the lower roll, thus permitting removal of the work. The roll I 6 may be replaced in working position when the handle is moved to the position shown. The roll then either returns by gravity or may be returned against the spring pressure by pressing down on the roll.

Lever 3| and its cam may be viewed as an instrument for lifting the top roll, or as part of a combination of spring power and manual force. With the construction described, therefore, operator efiort is reduced to a minimum if not entirely eliminated. As a result, operator fatigue is substantially reduced and machine output increased.

Instead of the counterbalancing compression spring here shown, other instrumentalities may be used as the power element.

It is to be understood that various changes may be made in the combination here shown without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with the upper and lower longitudinally extending rolls of a slip roll former or the like, means for mounting the upper roll to be movable away from the lower roll, lifter means including a lifter element connected with said upper roll to move the same, and a longitudinally extending lifter rod beneath said rolls and comiected with said lifter element, a longitudinally extending counterbalance spring beneath said rolls and abutting a part of said lifter means and tending to move said rod in a manner to actuate said lifter element to separate said rolls, and operator-controlled means for controlling the movement of said rod whereby said spring and a substantial part of said lifter means may be located out of the working area around said rolls so that full attention may safely be focused primarily on operation of said rolls.

2. In combination with the upper and lower rolls of a slip roll former or the like, means for mounting the upper roll to be movable away from the lower roll, a lifter element connected with said upper roll to move the same, a lifter rod connected with said lifter element, a compression spring embracing said rod, a fixed abutment for one end of said spring, an adjustably movable collar releasably secured to said rod and serving as an abutment for the other end of said spring, and operator-controlled means for controlling movement of said rod under the force of the spring.

3. In combination with the upper and lower rolls of a slip roll former or the like, means for mounting the upper roll to be movable away from the lower roll, a lifter element connected with said upper roll to move the same, a lifter rod connected with said lifter element, a compression spring embracing said rod, a fixed sleeve secured to said rod and having an internal thread, an adjustable movable sleeve having an external thread mating with the thread of said fixed sleeve, a collar connected to said movable sleeve and serving as an abutment for one end of said spring, said collar being releasing secured to said rod, a fixed abutment for the other end of the spring, and operator-controlled means for controlling movement of the lifter rod under the force of the spring.

4. In combination with the upper and lower rolls of a slip roll former or the like, a frame, means for mounting the upper roll to be movable away from the lower roll, lifter element means connected with said upper roll to move the same, operator-controlled cam means connected to said lifter element means for camming the upper roll for movement with respect to the lower roll, and counterbalancing spring means within said frame and acting between a part of said frame and a part of said lifter element means and tending to move said lifter element means in a manner to actuate the upper roll away from the lower roll.

5. In combination with the rolls of a slip roll former or the like, a frame, means for mounting one of said rolls for transverse movement relative to the other of said rolls for separating and closing said rolls, operator-actuated means for moving said one of said rolls transversely of the other roll, said operator-actuated means being located beneath said rolls, and spring means for counterbalancing the weight of said one of said z rolls, said spring means abutting a part of said frame and being contained wholly within said frame and beneath said rolls and in abutment with said operator-actuated means.

6. In a slip roll former and the like, in combination with a frame and cooperating rolls,

means for mounting one of said rolls for transverse movement toward and from the other rolls, a lifter element connected to said one of said rolls, a rod connected to said lifter element and supported by said frame, operator actuated cam means for moving said rod to actuate said lifter element and lift said one of said rolls, a spring in abutment with'a part of said frame and with an abutment on said rod for counterbalancing the weight of said one of said rolls during lifting thereof.

WILLIAM E. LUNDGREN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

